50 Cent & Courtney Kemp Agboh Break Down “Power” [EXCLUSIVE]

Entertainment can create the strangest of bedfellows–case in point, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Courtney Kemp Agboh. Agboh, a former journalist turned Emmy nominated producer, is part of a very exclusive sorority of Black female showrunners on primetime TV. And who doesn’t know 50 Cent’s “rags to riches” story; a former drug dealer turned rapper, turned filthy rich business mogul. While the casual observer might think Agboh and 50 Cent would have little in common, the two are bound by their drive and ambition to succeed in their respective arenas.

After years of working on successful hit shows like “The Good Wife,” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” Agboh decided it was time that she call the shots. Her creation, “Power,” which premieres on Starz June 7th, is an exploration of what it costs to attain the American Dream. The series follows James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), a loving husband, father and nightclub owner with a dangerous secret; he’s also a powerful drug lord who runs the streets of New York with an iron fist.

For Agboh, finding the source material for Ghost St. Patrick wasn’t hard to find.

“I was inspired by my father’s death to write about his life,” she tells TheUrbanDdaily.com. “His story, growing up with nothing in Buffalo, NY then going to college on a basketball scholarship and then becoming this very successful advertising executive.”

Partnering with 50 Cent to bring this series to life seemed a logical conclusion as Agboh recognized the connection between her late father and 50: “My father’s journey and Curtis’ journey are very similar. Although they obviously did different things, they both start from a lower income area and get out of the hood.”

TheUrbanDaily.com sat down with Agboh and 50 Cent to discuss the making of “Power,” how much of himself 50 Cent sees in Ghost, and if America is indeed ready for a leading Black anti-hero on primetime television.